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Confessions of a Sponge Enthusiast: Notes from World Sponge Conference 2025

By Sofia Paraskevopoulou

What an outstanding week at the 12th World Sponge Conference! We gathered in picturesque Vila do Conde, Portugal from 9 to 13 September to dive deep into everything sponge-related, from evolution, ecology, and systematics to biotechnological innovations.

I had the chance to share my latest work on freshwater sponges that have borrowed genes (lateral gene transfer!) and how these ancient lineages use those genes to adapt and survive in low oxygen environments. You can find the full presentation here or check out the book of abstracts. Feel free to reach out if you’re curious about one of the most ancient and fascinating groups of animals, the sponges!

Listening to talks on sponge microbiomes was a highlight, especially the plenary talk of my collaborator April Horton on freshwater sponge symbionts and their peculiar functions. Only few things make me happier than hearing about the incredible microbial worlds hiding inside these creatures.

Of course, conferences are also about the people! I caught up with old friends from Ionian University, Greece, and learned more about their inspiring sponge conservation efforts in the Aegean and Ionian Seas. I also reconnected with friends from Prof. Micha Ilan’s group at Tel Aviv University, who showed their impressive work on mesophotic-zone sponges and the fancy underwater gear they use to film them in their natural habitat!

I was especially inspired by Eleni’s Voultsiadou talk on sponges in Ancient Greece, beautifully linking history, culture, and marine biology.

All in all, it was a week full of science, sunshine, and sponge-powered inspiration. Until next time, #TeamPorifera

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Barcelona, Evolution, and Endless Inspiration: my ESEB 2025 Recap

By Sofia Paraskevopoulou

Welcome to the ESEB 2025 Congress, held at the International Convention Center in sunny Barcelona from August 17–22, 2025! It was an amazing week, a mix of catching up with old friends, collaborators, and supervisors, while also meeting new people and expanding my collaboration network. So many inspiring talks, brilliant ideas, and genuinely good science packed into one week!

As someone a bit noise-sensitive, I will admit the conference buzz was challenging at times. But, the overall good atmosphere made up for it. One of my favorite parts was the inclusivity initiatives, where researchers gathered participated in social mixers to discuss problems phased by underrepresented groups and how to make science more inclusive and approachable. The message was clear: no one should have to struggle to belong in academia!

I also had the chance to present not one, but two projects that are close to my heart:

1. Symbiosis-mediated gene transfer in early-diverging Metazoan

Yes, there are sponges that live in lakes and streams! My research explores lateral gene transfer in these freshwater sponges, focusing on a molecule called Rhodoquinone, an anaerobiosis-specific cofactor. Fascinatingly, the gene for it seems to have been borrowed from protists, a rare case of gene transfer across such distant lineages! Why marine sponges lack it remains a mystery… one I am eager to solve, with support from the Crafoord Foundation.

2. Transcriptomic signatures of infection and insights into transgenerational immune priming in an invertebrate host

This project dives into how invertebrates defend themselves against parasites. By examining gene expression patterns, we uncovered hints of how innate immunity and immune priming might operate across generations. Think of priming as an ancestral immune training at the molecular level.

Between the science, the sun, and the sangria, ESEB 2025 was a truly inspiring experience. Well done ESEB 2025. Looking forward the next one 🙂

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Tracing Eukaryotic Life Across Oxygen Gradients

By Sofia Paraskevopoulou

In July 2025, I embarked on an expedition aboard SVEA, the SLU research vessel, to explore the microbial life of the Swedish fjords. Our mission: to investigate how eukaryotic communities shift across oxic, hypoxic, and anoxic zones. This provides natural gradients that offer a natural laboratory of how life copes with low-oxygen conditions.

Over the course of the expedition, we collected a variety of samples using gravity cores, GMAX cores, and CTD water profiling systems, targeting both the water column and sediments across oxygen transitions. These samples will allow us to track changes in microbial eukaryote diversity and function along the redox gradient.

We will apply amplicon sequencing to identify community composition, and use metatranscriptomics to determine which genes are actively expressed under varying oxygen gradients. This will help us uncover how protists and other microbial eukaryotes adapt their metabolism and interactions in response to oxygen loss, critical knowledge in a warming world where hypoxia and anoxia are on the rise.

We are excited to dive into the data and share what we discover.

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SORTEE 2025 Conference

By Sofia Paraskevopoulou

The Society for Open, Reliable, and Transparent Ecology and Evolutionary biology (SORTEE) is a grassroots organization dedicated to improving how science is practiced and shared. SORTEE’s mission is to promote open science, reproducibility, and a more collaborative and equitable research culture in ecology and evolution.

As part of this mission, the SORTEE Conference is anything but traditional. Designed to be virtual, accessible, and community-driven, the conference prioritizes meaningful interaction over passive attendance. Instead of long lecture-style sessions, the program is built around three core formats:

  • Unconferences: informal discussions around a specific topic.
  • Hackathons: collaborative sessions for building tools, resources, or ideas.
  • Workshops: practical, skill-based sessions covering topics like open data, and pre-registration.

This structure not only encourages active engagement, but also ensures that the conference remains inclusive across career stages, geographic regions, and disciplines. Low-cost registration, flexible scheduling across time zones, and a strong focus on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) make it easier for more voices to be heard.

Being part of SORTEE and its conference committee has shown me that scientific gatherings can be more equitable, more interactive, and more effective. I am very proud of this effort.

You can find more information about the upcoming SORTEE 2025 conference program here. For registration please visit the official website sortee.org.

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A Freshwater Sponge Expedition in Skåne

by Sofia Paraskevopoulou

When most people hear the word sponge, they think of SpongeBob or marine species found in coral reefs. But freshwater sponges, though less famous, are just as fascinating and ecologically important. While a recent study expanded our knowledge of freshwater sponge diversity in Sweden, southern regions like Skåne remain largely unexplored.

In July 2024, our research team from Lund University (Raquel, Viktor, and me) set out on a field expedition across Skåne with a clear goal: to uncover the hidden diversity of freshwater sponges in this understudied part of the country.

Armed with GPS devices, sampling equipment, and a large dose of curiosity, we visited lakes, ponds, and slow-moving streams across southern Sweden. From each site, we collected sponge samples and recorded key environmental variables such as pH, water temperature, and substrate type.

Back in the lab, we’re now working on identifying the collected species using a combination of morphological techniques and molecular tools. One of our main research questions is how these sponge species are distributed across freshwater to brackish environments, and whether lateral gene transfer (LGT) from microbial symbionts plays a role in helping them adapt to different ecological conditions.

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Protistology Nordics 2023: Exploring the Depths of Protistology

by Sofia Paraskevopoulou

On May 2, 2024, Protistology Nordics came to life in Lund, Sweden, bringing together 35 researchers from across the Nordic region to celebrate and advance the study of protists—our fascinating and often-overlooked microbial eukaryotes. Hosted in the historic setting of Kulturen, the conference offered a full day of cutting-edge science, collaboration, and inspiration.

The program opened with Mahwash Jamy (SLU), who highlighted the power of long-read sequencing in unraveling protist diversity and evolution. She was followed by Micah Dunthorn (University of Oslo), who explored the ongoing challenge of estimating the number of free-living ciliate species. Megan Gross (RPTU Kaiserslautern-Landau) introduced digital PCR as a precise tool for measuring ciliate abundance, while Yash Pardasani (Uppsala University) presented exciting research on Paulinella amoebas and the origin of photosynthetic eukaryotes.

The afternoon featured talks from Staffan Svärd on the dual identity of Giardia, and Jon Jerlström Hultqvist, who shared structural insights into protist symbiosis. Courtney Stairs (Lund University) closed the session with a compelling talk on protist adaptations to anaerobic environments.

The day ended with a walk through Kulturen’s open-air museum, grounding our microbial discussions in the cultural landscape of Skåne. Awards for Best Oral Presentation and Best Flash Talk went to Yash Pardasani and Nina Pohl, respectively.

You can see pictures and relevant material in this link.

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Sparking Curiosity and Unveiling the Microscopic World

by Sofia Paraskevopoulou

On May 26, 2024, I had the pleasure of organizing an outreach event in our Microbiology Lab, where we welcomed a group of enthusiastic high school students for an up-close look at the world of protists. With microscopes set up and samples collected from nearby ponds, soils, and animal stools, we set out to uncover the hidden diversity of these fascinating microbes.

Together with my colleagues, we guided the students through their first encounters with spiral algae, ciliates, and diatoms. It was incredible to watch their excitement grow as they realized how complex and dynamic these tiny organisms are.

We discussed the crucial roles protists play in ecosystem function, from nutrient cycling to symbiosis, and their relevance in environmental research. The students asked thoughtful questions and left with a deeper appreciation for the microscopic world and, hopefully, a spark of scientific curiosity.

This event was part of our lab’s ongoing effort to make science accessible and engaging for the next generation. To learn more, have a look here